Part of the responsibility of living in a community is to help keep that community clean for future generations.

There are numerous civic and beautification clubs that stress this very point, but it still seems as if some people just don’t get it.

Aside from the litter that manages to collect on the major thoroughfares in Lawrence County, illegal tire dumping sites are popping up along the more rural and sparsely traveled roadways.

And while this certainly is a problem in Lawrence County that the Lawrence Scioto Solid Waste Management District contends with, the entire State of Ohio also deals with the issue.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency claims to have removed more than 43 million scrap tires from illegal dump sites since 1996. Locally, the LSSWMD has cleaned up about 2,000 tires since January.

These dump sites are not only eyesores, but are also a concern for public health and safety. Tire dumps can spawn dangerous fires that produce toxic smoke and oils. Second, tire piles are prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes that can carry dangerous diseases such as West Nile Virus and encephalitis.

And the key to preventing many of those tires from ending up in illegal piles is education.

Many times, people pay for waste removal services from people who are not qualified or licensed to dispose of the waste properly. Rather they will take the waste and dump it illegally.

If you are searching for waste removal services, make sure you do your homework to find reputable companies.

If you are unsure of what to do with scrap tires or other solid waste, contact the waste management district.

We all have to do our part to keep the community clean.